He recognizes China's great progress - in normalization of government, and in economic development. But he is a determined critic of anti-democratic practices. Among them are recent actions against dissenting lawyers and lawyers fr dissidents. Now is the aggrandizement of a sitting leader, putting him on a plane with familiar icons - Marx, Lenin, Mao Tse Tung; and now eliminating term limits for the PRC's President. - gwc
Xi Jinping Amends China's Constitution - Lawfare
by Jerome Cohen
The instantaneous reaction to the momentous news that Xi Jinping will be eligible to serve a third term and beyond as chairman of China’s government is the most recent demonstration that we live in a connected world. Domestically, Xi’s bold move to amend his country’s Constitution, although undoubtedly popular with the masses, has clearly generated significant elite opposition. This has been visible even in non-transparent China, despite Xi’s stifling of information and free expression. Indeed, adoption of what could be life tenure for Xi apparently inspired considerable opposition even within the secret confines of the Communist Party Central Committee, which reportedly had to be dragooned into supporting his political coup.
The elimination of term limits for what are usually translated into English as China’s presidency and vice-presidency is only one of three crucial constitutional amendments about to be adopted. The other two are the enshrinement of “Xi Jinping Thought” and the formalization of government “supervisory commissions” that will strengthen what should be called the Inquisition with Chinese characteristics. Together they will expand Xi’s already fearsome powers over his countrymen and potentially extend his dictatorship into the indefinite future.
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